Animated toy



April 9, 1935. R. B. STEWART ANIMATED TOY Filed July so, 1932 a sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 4

gwuentm RALPH: B. STEWART R. B. STEWART ANIMATED TOY Filed July so, 1932 April 9, 1935.

s Sheets-Sheet 2 A ril 9, 1935. R. B. STEWART ANIMATED TOY Filed July 30, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 10

RALPH B. STEWART dbtozwaq Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES ANIMATED l'ro'r- Ralph B. Stewart, Chevy Chase, Md. Application uly 30, 1932, Serial No. 626,758

I 12 claims.

This invention relates to toys and in particular to animated toys suitable for use as targets in various games employing projectiles thrown or propelled against the target. M

An object of my invention is .to devise, a toy having the shape of an animal and provid'ed with an energy storing device latched in energy stored position by a target latch; the arrangement being such that when the target latch is tripped .to release'the stored energy, the toy is. caused to act in some'manner'simulating the action of an animal. r v 1 Four forms of my invention are shown'in the accompanying drawings in which the toy simulates the form of a rabbit and in which the tripping of the target latch causes the rabbit to Jump over backwards. a j

e 1, Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings .is a front view of one form of-my invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 Figure 3 is a plan view of Figurel; Figure 4,is 'a side view oi?v Figure 2 after the target latch has been tripped; v

Figure his a sideview partly. in section, of a second form of theinvention;

line 6-4; l Figure. 7 is a side view, partly in section of a third form of theinvention; I 1 8 Figure 8 is a sectional view of Fig. 7 along line Figure 9- is a side view, partly in section, of a fourth form of the invention;

Figure 10 is a sectional view l0 l0.of Figure 9. I a

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, one form of the invention comprises a body portion I, the'outline of which is formed to represent the head and the body of a rabbit. It is obviousthis portion may be formed to represent any other animal. The body portion iis pivotally mounted on a base portion by means of a pin 2. v The base portion comprises two side members 3 and 4 secured to abottom member 5, the two side members being formed to simulate the hind legs of a rabbit in a squatting position. An energy storing device such as a spring wire 6 has a looped, portion engaging a notch 1 in the body portion l and is-formed in convolutions around pin-"2 onboth sides of the body portion. The end portions 6a and 6b of spring 6 rest on the base member 5, thereby tending toproduce a rotating movement of the body I about the pin 2 in a clockwise direction. A U-shaped link 8 pivoted by means of shanks 8a and 8b in the side members 3 and 4 is engaged taken along line Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 5 along by another U-shaped link Swhichin turnis pivot ed in the front of the body i as at l0 The link;9,

in passing through thebody portion at -10, also servesjas a pivot for supporting a target ortrigger element H, which is formed of a metallic 5 channel piece embracing the front edge of the body portion. Withthe body portion -l-;in ,the position as shownin Fig. 2, the plane of link .8 lies to the right of the pivot axis 10, and the link 9 has a tendency to rotate about pivot IO in.a clockwise direction, forcing the horizontal por tion of link 8 against trigger H andinto latched position against the body. portion. a Any force, such as the impact of a projectile I2 against the, lower end of the trigger I l,forces the link 8 to the leit of pivot Ill-thereby releasing the latch, and theenergy .in the springB' causes the body to rotate about the pin 2 to a position as shownin Fig.4. In order to release the latch the trigger l I must be moved by the projectile sothatthe plane oflink 8 passes to the other side of axis;l0 from the position shown in Fig. 2. The energy stored in the springfi isexpended in storing kinetic en- 'ergy'in'the rotating movement of'the body about the pin 2, When the link mechanism has reached aposition as shown in Fig. 4, further rotation is stopped by, the link 8 engaging the lower end-of trigger H, and the'kineticenergy of the rotating body causesthe whole toy to jump and rotatein I a clockwise direction. By proper designthe t y 30 can be made to perform in several different manners. It-will be clear'that the following factors, among others, enterinto'consideration in the design: Location of the centers of gravity of the body and base portions; the relative weights 1 of the two portions; the strength of the energy storing spring; and the angle, of rotation of the body portion Preferably thesefactors are so selected that the toy will jump up, make one revolution, and land on the base again. 40

In the modifications shown in Figures 5 to '10 the latch and rotation limiting structures are enclosed within the body portion in order .to reduce the possibility of injury to those using the toy. In these figures elements, like those in Figures 1 and '45 2 are indicated by the same referencecharacters. For the sake of clearness of illustration, the energy storing" spring has been omitted-from Figures 5to l0. a

In the arrangement shown in Figures Sand 6 the body has a cavity l3 inwhichis pivoteda bar link Hl by-a pin 15. Secured .to the base 5 is a bracket IS the upper end of which extends partly into the cavity l3 and pivotally supports a U-shaped link I! which passes throughthe AT T-(EPI of said body portion and engaging said base portion, and a trip latch target for latching said body portion to said base portion in energy storing position.

6. In a target device, a base portion having side members, a body portion located between said side members and spaced therefrom, a pin passing through said side members and said body portion for pivotally securing said portions together, an energy storing spring comprising a wire having convolutions surrounding said pin in the spaces on each side of said body portion, said convolutions being joined by a central looped portion engaging the body portion, and the terminal portions of said convolutions being arranged to engage said base portion for producing relative rotation between said base and. body portions, a. trip latch target for latching said body portion to said base portion in energy storing position, said trip latch including two cooperating elements for limiting the relative rotation between said base and body portions.

7. In a target device, abase portion, a. body portion pivoted to said base portion, energy storing means tending to rotate said body portion with respect to said base portion, a link pivoted to said base portion, another 'link pivoted to said body portion, said links being pivotally connected together and being arranged to lock saidbody portion against rotation when said body portionis placed in energy storing position with respect to said base portion, and a'target member for tripping said links.

8. In a target device, a base portion, a body respect to said base portion said links fold back upon each other and lock said, body portion against rotation with respect to said base portion,

one of said links being under tension and the other under compression in locked position, and

a target member for tripping said links from latched position.

9. In a target device, a base portion, a body portion pivoted to said base portion, energy storing means tending to rotate said body portion with respect to said base portion, a link pivoted to said base portion, another link pivoted to said body portion, said links being pivotally connected together and arranged so that when said body portion is moved into energy storing position with respect to said base portion said links fold back upon each other, means for maintaining said links in folded position to thereby lock said body portion against rotation with respect to said base portion, with the pivotal connection between said v line mentof said members, a link pivoted to one of I said members, another link pivoted to the second of said members, 'saidlinks being pivotallyconnected together and arranged so that in one position of said relatively movable members said links fold back upon each other and lock said members against relative movement by said means, one of said links being under tension and the other under compression in locked position with the common pivot axis located to one side of the line of centers of the pivots on said members, and means for moving the common pivot axis past the line of centers to unlatch said members and permit relative movement thereof.

11. A target device comprising in combination a base portion, a body portion pivoted to said base portion, energy storing means tending toproduce relativerotation of said portions, said body and base portions being provided with adjacent cavities, a link pivoted to said base portion and adapted to swing down into the cavity of said portion, a second link pivoted to the body portion in the cavity thereof and adapted to extend into the cavity of the base portion, said links being pivotally connected together and arranged so that when said body portion is moved into energy storing position with respect to said base portion, said links fold back upon'each other, means for maintaining said links in folded position to thereby lock said body against rotation with respect to said base portion with the pivotal connection between said links to one side of the line of cen.

ters of the pivots of said links to said body and base portions, and a target device having means for moving said pivotal connection to the other side of said line of centers. g

12. In a target device, a base portion, a body portion pivoted to said base portion, energy storing means tending to rotate said body portion with respect to said. base portion, a link pivoted to said base portion and extending into a cavity formed in the body portion, the upper end of 7 and arranged in the slot of said link and adapted to engagesaid hook formation to hold said body and base portions in energy stored relation, and a target device having means for moving said link to disengage said hook formation from said pin,.

and permit the rotation of said body portion to the end of said, elongated slot.

RALPH B. STEWART. 

